


Could We Be

by BookAdictArchiver



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Malec, Malec fic, Maybe some angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-03-16 19:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13643115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookAdictArchiver/pseuds/BookAdictArchiver
Summary: Being stuck in a house with the person you hate was far from ideal. And that too on his only week off as an intern. Alec was so done. Magnus was not the person he was supposed to spend his week off with. And the cold weather was not helping either. Why was life being so cruel to him?Magnus didn't want to be stuck with the person he pretended to hate but was pining over either. It was downright inhumane for the universe to pin him in a situation like this! But maybe the universe was just trying to help them.(On hold, but will return shortly)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, peeps!! Its been a while, and I still am swamped with college work especially with my exams coming up and all. But I had this idea and I started writing and I'm genuinely happy with how the first chapter turned out. Idk how many chapters this will be or how often I can update, but I feel like I'm going to like how the story turns out, so stick with me if you can. Happy reading!

**Chapter 1**

Alec rubbed his palms against each other trying to regain some warmth as he entered Izzy’s house. His sister was really persuasive when she needed to be, he knew that much, but he didn’t think she could make him go back to her place just for the sake of getting her a matching scarf. That was pushing it, even for her. He couldn’t believe he had accepted to do it in the first place, especially in the peak of December without a car (even though they were just a few blocks away). He shrugged off his scarf and his jacket as the wet snow started seeping through the cloth while continuing to rub his hands together. He hadn’t expected it to start snowing (which was stupid of him), not that he was complaining about it. Just that he wasn’t prepared for it. And he hated not being prepared. He hung the jacket in a corner and dug its pockets for his phone.

“Okay Iz, I’m here. At 1 am. Apparently to find a scarf. So, where is it?”

“ _First, the scarf is important to the outfit, okay, and second, it has to be somewhere in my closet. I’m not really sure. It’s navy blue and it has zigzag lines in it, you’ll find it pretty easily I think. Just send me a pic once when you find it, so you don’t get the wrong one._ ”

“And that’s your concern. Izzy, tell me again why we couldn’t have done this in the morning when you’re actually getting ready?”

“ _Because we never get up early enough, and if I asked you to do this in the morning, you wouldn’t.”_

Alec sighed and walked over to her bedroom barely keeping his eyes open. “I don’t know why I am now either, honestly,” he admitted.

“ _Coz you love me, and you want me to look perfect for tomorrow’s party. Speaking of, I think I picked the perfect outfit for you.”_

He pushed aside a few hangers and then found the scarf hanger and picked out the blue one from the lot. “Wait, I think I found your scarf.” He put the phone on speaker snapping a quick photo.

“ _That’s not it! I said zigzag, that’s checked. And that isn’t navy blue, that’s indigo. Alec! Come on!”_

“Does that really matter? You wanted a blue scarf, this is blue.”

“ _What do you mean does it matter? Indigo is a shade darker, if I go with that then I’ll have to find a darker shade of pants, plus there is a reason I wanted the pattern to be… Oh, wait. Never mind. I left it at Simon’s itself. He found it now. Sorry. You can come back.”_

Alec sighed as he sat down on the empty bed beside the closet, “Izzy, I just had a 42-hour shift and I have been awake for nearly 4 hours after my shift ended now, I am _not_ coming back. I’m hijacking your bed and I’ll consider coming to the brunch if I’m awake in time.”

“ _Sorry Alec, you go ahead and sleep. I’ll call you in the morning, but I’m not letting you skip this brunch. Good night.”_

“Night Iz,” he yawned. His eyes refused to stay open, the stinging just became more intense as he shut his eyes falling back into one of the many throw pillows just lying around on the bed. It took no time for all his thoughts to shut down as he let the tiredness take over.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Magnus woke up, not quite relieved of the exhaustion yet. Highway to hell was playing at its loudest. He always regretted that he picked that as his ringtone, but never bothered enough the change it. It was classic rock. Definitely not his kind of music, but he loved this song, and was never going to change it. He groaned and shifted slightly to get reach for his phone swiping the screen closing his eyes again. It wasn’t like he was able to see anything anyway.

“Hello,” He answered.

“ _Magnus, hey! It’s Izzy. Are you ready yet?”_

He cleared his throat hoping it would get his voice to come out more even this time, “Ready for what? Isabelle, let me sleep, please.”

“ _Of course, you aren’t. Get up and get dressed. Where are you anyway? Still at Catarina’s?”_

“No, I came back home last night. Are you talking about the brunch,” he groaned, “What was I supposed to make again?”

“ _I don’t know, just come, that should be enough.”_

He groaned and sat up. “I’m going to fashionably late anyway. So, if I sleep a little longer it isn’t going to hurt anyone is it?”

“ _Magnus, you’re going to be a ‘little longer’ anyway. You take longer than me to dress up. Can you believe the number of people I have to deal with to come to this brunch? It's preposterous. Speaking of. I need to wake Alec up too.”_ Magnus was only half listening to what she had to say his eyes drooping close and slipping back into the comforters he was cuddled in a few seconds ago.

“You do that then,” He managed through a yawn.

“ _No. You do that. I need to make sure you get up and Alec is in the room next to you. So, you do it. I need to get ready too.”_

And then he was up. “What! Alec is here. Why is Alexander here?”

“ _Magnus. I don’t have time to explain. Perfection takes time. So, would you shut up, get up and wake him up. Oh, and also tell him to wear whatever he has in there with him. He doesn’t have time to come here and change.”_

“Isabelle, explain yourself.”

“ _Wake him up, Magnus. That’s it. Now bye.”_

Oh god. Magnus wasn’t ready to do this first thing in the morning. Facing Alec Lightwood didn’t even make it to the top 5 first things he wanted to do in the morning, or ever really. Why, you ask? Because Alec hated him. He didn’t really know why he just did. And Magnus reciprocated the loathe. They were forced into situations where they had to mingle often considering he _was_ Alec’s sister’s roommate and all, but he preferred it if they didn’t. But here’s the thing. Magnus didn’t really hate Alec. Not even close. In fact, he’d had this huge crush on him since the moment he set his eyes on the other man. Despite his coldness towards Magnus, Alec was probably the sweetest guy he’d ever known. All you had to do was look at him with his family.

He groaned and slammed back into the bed internally cringing about his pathetic state. But he had no choice right now, so took in a deep breath before scooting out of the sheets and put his slippers on, whining as the cold seeped in through them anyway. He let out a small groan resisting the urge to curl back in his bed. He was not ready to face a bitter Alec right now, so he was hoping this would be quick. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his robes. Why was it suddenly so cold? He made a mental note to check the thermostats later. He took in a deep breath before walking into Izzy’s room.

Izzy may be a glorious and outshining soul, but her room never reflected on that. Except for the assorted choices of drip art placed strategically in the walls along with a few pictures of her family, it was quite, for the lack of better terms, barren for the room of an interior designer (not that the word could be used to describe her room at all), but walk in and you’d know each item there has its place. The removal of a single item would have thrown the whole thing off balance. And that’s what he loved about Izzy’s style.

Magnus stood there staring at the sky blue sheets that were partially covering the man lying under it. The side of Alec’s face was resting on his arm with his mouth slightly open. His hair was a tangled mess of stark black strands half on his face. He was not the most elegant sleeper. That much was evident. _But who cares about elegance when he still looks hot sleeping like a toddler,_ his mind betrayed his composure. He took another breath trying to put on the ‘I hate Alexander’ face everyone was now used to. He didn’t bother with niceness. He simply walked over to an edge of the bed and pulled the sheet from right over him.

“Wake up,” He ordered ignoring the twinge of guilt that settled in at seeing Alec fight for the sheets. “We’ve got places to be and I’m not going to wait on you.”

“Five more minutes. Please,” Alec mumbled.

“Well, Alexander. I don’t have five more minutes of my precious time to wait on you. So, get the hell up.” Alec whined a little more before abruptly sitting up.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec hadn’t slept like this since god knows when. His shifts at the hospital were killing him. Izzy’s bed was not so surprisingly very comfortable, but to be fair, he would have slept on a rock the same was he was right now. Being a doctor was tiring, but being a surgical intern was worse. So, when someone tried to wake him up, the bed refused to let him go.

“Well Alexander, I don’t have five more minutes of my precious time to wait on you. So, get the hell up.” A voice called out again. His eyes were glued shut and he didn’t want to open them, but at the sound of that voice, he shot up. _Magnus?_

“Magnus?” He asked, clearing his throat once he realized how groggy his voice was.

“No, it’s the wicked witch of the west, you’re more delicious when you fear how I’m going to eat you.”

He rubbed his eyes shuffling around the bed getting more comfortable. “You’re mixing up your fairy tales. That’s Hansel and Gretel. Wicked Witch of the west is from Wizard of Oz.”

Alec could practically feel the eye roll even with his half-conscious state. “Do you have to be a smartass this early in the morning?” Magnus scoffed, “My job was to wake you up, and now I’m done.”

_Wake him up?_ “Wake me up for what?” He asked, clearing his throat again.

“The brunch,” Magnus answered curtly and left. Oh right! That was today. The first two weeks of holidays he’d gotten since his internship and it was going to kick off with a brunch with his parents and friends. The latter, he didn’t mind. The former he was dying of anticipation to face. He sighed pulling the covers over himself. Five more minutes. He deserved five more minutes of sleep.

“Alec. Get up. Unfortunately, I need to give you a ride, so up. Now.” He whimpered out of the bed.

“I need a maximum of 10 minutes to get ready. Do I _need_ to be up right now?”

“We’re already an hour late. Unless you want Isabelle to kill you I suggest you be up and ready right now.” Alec opened his eyes to glare at Magnus but lost all his restraint when he looked at the other man. All his snide remarks left his mind. Magnus’s eyebrows shot up in question.

“Fine,” he managed finding his way to the washroom.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Magnus waited on the couch for about 10 minutes when Alec walked in with his usual black and black combination. Nothing surprising there, and he looked good in it, so there was nothing to complain there either.

“Ready to leave?” He asked shoving his hands in his jacket pocket. Magnus tried his hard to look like he wasn’t checking the other man out. They were supposed to hate each other after all.

“Finally,” Magnus commented as he got up flattening his shirt, reaching for the door. He twisted the knob pulling the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He wiped his palms on his jacket. It was probably sweaty or something. He twisted the knob a few more times repeating the process. But the door wouldn’t open.

“What’s wrong,” Alec asked.

“The door won’t open.”

“Maybe you just don’t know how to open it,” Alec commented pushing Magnus out of the way to try opening the door. Magnus watched as he tried to push and pull. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Alec’s futile attempts. “The door won’t open,” He said after a few minutes.

“No kidding Sherlock.”

Alec gave him a mocking smile, “I think the snow froze the lock or something. It was snowing all night yesterday.”

“Well, what should we do?”

“I’ll give Izzy a call. She’ll get help.” Magnus nodded removing his coat. Alec dug his pocket for the phone calling his sister.

“Hey Iz, it’s your brother. We are –” he stopped abruptly removing the phone from his ear. “Oh great, of course, I had to run out of battery now.”

“Here, take mine,” Magnus offered, stopping as his phone buzzed a ‘ _Low battery’_ warning _._ “Oh great. Apparently, I’m stuck here with you for a while.”

“No party for me either,” Alec retorted shrugging off his coat. “Go find your chord, please, so we can be put out of this misery sooner.”

_Misery._ Of course, Alec thought being stuck with him was a misery. Not that he was giving off any other vibe. Magnus snorted stalking into his room digging under his pile of clothes for his charger. It must be somewhere around here. But in all honesty, he was awful at keeping track of where his things were. He moved over to his dresser’s drawer, scavenging through its contents.

“Find it?” Alec asked entering. “Woah, your room’s a mess. And very cold.”

“Thank you for your keen observations, Alec. I hadn’t noticed.” Magnus said continuing to search for the chord till it struck him. “I left it at Catarina’s,” He sighed, closing his eyes.

“Your brain? I didn’t know you had one.” Magnus narrowed his eyes at the comment.

“I meant my charger. I left it at Catarina’s. Oh, joy.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that we are stuck here till someone figures out we’re stranded here.” Magnus threw his hands up in defeat. “Might as well make yourself comfortable.” He pushed aside the clothes he’d thrown out staring at the ceiling. Being stuck with a man who hates you and you love. The devil himself couldn’t have created a better hell to torture him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Alec stared at Magnus. _Stuck here till someone figures out?_ What the hell kind of an answer was that? He lowered his gaze to his shoes gritting his teeth before taking a deep breath. “It’s going to be fine. Izzy has to be back after brunch here anyway, and she’ll figure out we’re frozen in.”

A few hours maximum. He could deal with that, right? And he didn’t even need to see Magnus. He could stay in his room and Alec in his sisters. The house was big enough. And on the bright side, no awkward conversations with his parents followed by long _long_ pauses of awkward silence. He removed his shoes and sat on the sofa folding his leg hoping to spread some heat to his cold feet and switched on the tv. He had nothing better to do. He would have loved to get some updates on his patients, but that wasn’t an option with his phone being dead and all. Helen was probably handling it all though.

It was both an advantage and a disadvantage working for a hospital with an internship programme of this calibre. The number of people they took in was huge too, so the internship happened in alternate batches. So, any patient Alec got was his, and someone else’s responsibility as well. But that also meant that both groups got a fair amount of rest. Usually, they’d alter day and night shifts, but the hospital had decided that they needed to understand the proper workload for at least a while. Hence this week. He was working a paediatric case, and thankfully, Helen, his counterpart in the other batch, was great with kids. But he was worried about Caleb anyway. He was a little shy, and it took Alec a while to break him out of his shell. He was getting his second operation done the day after, so Alec was hoping to visit him once before. 

The television kept playing in the background while Alec remained lost in thought. He did occasionally try to open the door again not really sure what he was hoping would have happened to change the original outcome. He eventually gave up on trying only to be distracted by his grumbling stomach. He groaned and peeked into the room Magnus was in. He knocked loudly on the door.

“Where’s the food?” He asked well aware that the other man was probably asleep. Magnus ruined his sleep. He was just returning the favour. Magnus jerked awake opening his eyes far wider than probably needed. He looked at Alec adjusting himself amidst the pile of clothes that surrounded him.

“The food Magnus. Where is it?”

“Oh, you know, unlike most people, I love to stash my food in the bathroom. Under the sink.”

Alec rolled his eyes, “I meant where in the kitchen.” Magnus’s shoulders slouched in defeat and he got out of the bed, absentmindedly walking out of the room. He opened a random cupboard on the top shelf.

“Tada,” he announced blandly. “Pick your poison.” And he walked back into his room.

Alec stared back at him shooting bullets with his look. He hated Magnus, and there wasn’t much anyone could do about it. What happened had happened and he should have gotten over it, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. And so, this was how it was, this was how it was going to be till Alec learned to let things go. He was not one to hold grudges, but this was more than a grudge. He wasn’t willing to let it go.

 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Magnus sighed into his bed. The acting was easy for him now. Too easy it hurt. He picked up one of the shirts lying in his bed and began folding it. Anything to keep his mind occupied till Izzy showed up, and since distraction didn’t seem to be an option with Alec hogging the tv, this seemed to be the second-best option.

He started with the clothes, and slowly moved on to making the closet, then re-arranging his shelf, and cleaning up the room entirely. By the time he was done, it was 7 pm. He stared at the clock in disbelief. _Was it seven o’clock already?_ He went to the living room to find a sleeping Alec. Magnus switched off the tv, not wanting to wake him up, and went to grab a candy bar. It was already dinner time and Izzy wasn’t home. But what if she was stuck outside? Would she have any way to come in? What if the snow had blocked the whole way. She would have no way to contact either of them.

He grabbed a bag of chips deciding to go back to his room since he had nothing better to do. He ripped the packet open causing a loud sound he didn’t intend on making. He cringed, hoping it didn’t wake a certain somebody up.

“Humph.” He heard and bit his lip. He eased back into a straight posture trying to avoid Alec. “What time is it?” Alec asked groggily.

“Seven,” He answered.

“What? Where’s Izzy, is she here?”

“No, darling. Unfortunately, not. And if I knew where Izzy was, I’d be long out of here.” That part was true.

“So, we’re stuck here for dinner?” Magnus tilted his head sideways and decided to settle on a settee after all digging in the bag for some chips. “Do you actually have something substantial to eat?”

“We have pizza left in the fridge probably,” Magnus said, mid crunching.

Alec rearranged the pillows before leaving, and Magnus moved to the tv to see if his hard-drive was still connected, and he saw a white chord.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Alexander!” Magnus called. Alec sighed and removed the plate from the beeping oven.

“What?”

“What chord does your phone have?”

“It’s an iPhone 6 so whichever one that is.”

“Izzy uses the same phone, right?” Magnus asked. What was with all the questions?

“Yep. What’s with the interrogation?” Alec narrowed his eyes at the older man who was standing next to the tv. He was too hungry to get the spite out in his voice, so he took a bite out of the pizza slice.

“Where’s your phone? I found Izzy’s charger. We can call someone for help.” Alec smiled. Finally. He gets to leave. He put the plate down and searched for his phone holding it out for Magnus who plugged in the charger.

“And it’s a perfect fit,” Magnus said smiling. This guy with his fairy-tale references. They both stood there smiling at each other for a while before Alec snapped out of the charm. He blinked twice before taking a small step back.

“Well… um… it should take at least a few hours. So, um… I’m gonna –” He pointed his thumb behind him.

“Right.”

Alec turned around shutting his eyes tightly. _No. Just no._ He cringed slightly before opening his eyes again. Not again. Not _ever_ again. He was not going to go down that road again. Magnus was a heartbreaker and he didn’t deserve to put himself through that pain again.

He grabbed his half-eaten slice of pizza leaving the rest on the table.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Magnus blinked. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but it was something. Good or bad, he didn’t know that either. But he couldn’t sleep. And evidently neither could Alec. He could hear Alec pacing in his room.

“Hey, it’s been a few hours,” Alec said breaking him out of his thoughts, “Did you check the phone?”

Magnus shook his head unable to find his voice. Alec unplugged and unlocked his phone. He fiddled with it for a few minutes before opening a voice message on speaker.

“ _Hey Alec, it’s Izzy. I cannot believe you didn’t show up! Seriously Alec, How? And you don’t even pick up your phone. I’m so mad at you right now. And at Magnus! Why didn’t he show up? You better have a damn good reason when I come back on Thursday coz otherwise you are both dead men walking! Speaking off, I’m going someplace quote ‘surprise’ unquote with Simon, and he wouldn’t let me have my phone with me, so you have three days to come up with a good excuse. Bye.”_ Beep.

“So, she’s mad,” Magnus sighed.

“And unavailable,” Alec grimaced, “I’m going to call Jace.”

“At 2 am Alexander? Really? Do you think blondie would pick up at this ungodly hour?”

“Well, do you _want_ to be stuck here for eternity?” Alec snapped back. _And there it is_ , Magnus’s mind offered helpfully.

“Oh, my dream come true!” Magnus replied blandly, but he didn’t seem to take notice already waiting for Jace to pick up. But Magnus genuinely did hope Jace picked up. If only get someone in to fix his cold room. He tried tucking into his comfy bed hoping not to let his mind overtime in there only to realise that the temperature control was broken. Which is why he’d moved his blankets and a few pillows to the couch. Not that the couch wasn’t comfortable, it was just not spacious enough to move around in.

“Jace. Oh, thank god!” Magnus could hear muffled complains from the other end, but nothing he could make out. “Yeah, I know its 2 and I’m really sorry, but I need you right now,” Alec continued. More muffled noises. “Yeah, so we are stuck in Izzy’s house and we can’t seem to get out.” Pause. “Magnus and me… Yes, Jace, I tried turning the knob.” Magnus remained staring, and Alec finally glanced towards him. “Hold up, let me put you on speakers.”

“ _Okay, So,_ that’s _why you missed brunch. Izzy was so pissed. It’s a good thing you have an excuse though.”_ Magnus scoffed.

“It’s not an excuse, could you just please come and check what is happening on the other side.”

“ _But it’s two in the morning,”_ Jace whined.

“And Magnus and Alec are stuck together in the same house,” Magnus chimed in with the same tone.

“ _Right!”_ Jace said dragging the word. Magnus could practically feel him slump in reaction. “ _Can’t you guys go to sleep,”_ Jace sighed in defeat, “ _I’ll come and get you in the morning. No one will be available at this time anyway. Just play nice guys.”_

Alec looked at Magnus. “He’s not wrong.”

Magnus raised his eyebrows, “And what happened when I said the same thing.”

“When have I ever listened to what you’ve said,” Alec offered with fake sweetness.

“ _Guys. I told you to play nice. Please! Let me go to sleep.”_ Jace ordered abruptly cutting the call.

Alec groaned loudly. “Till tomorrow then.”

Why did Alec hate him so much? It annoyed him that Alec did, but it annoyed him more that he didn’t know why. If he did, maybe, just maybe they could figure something out. Come to non-scowling terms at least. That is why even smallest acts of kindness from Alec left him obsessing over the 2 seconds forever. He needed to know what happened.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec couldn’t sleep. He turned over another time hoping to achieve something, but thankfully he didn’t have to find it because his phone started ringing. _Finally,_ he thought to himself and answered the phone.

“Hey, Jace. Please tell me you’re here.”

“ _Hi, Alec. It’s Clary, and yeah. We are.”_

Alec jumped out of bed to see Magnus lying on the couch cosily sleeping. He tapped him awake. Magnus startled his eyes open staring at the younger man in question.

“They’re here,” Alec whispered. “So, what’s the situation?” He asked putting the phone on speakers and sitting down near the couch.

“ _Yeah, about that. I think you guys are stuck pretty bad. There is a huge pile of snow up here and I can barely see the door.”_ Magnus was slowly getting himself up to a sitting position still tangled up with like ten comforters around him.

“What do you mean?” Magnus asked his voice barely audible. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“ _I think the snow storm got you guys good. There’s no way for us to get to the door let alone open it.”_

Alec sighed. “Okay. Can you call someone for help?”

“ _Jace is doing that right now,”_ Clary stated, _“And they’ll probably be here any minute now, so I thought I’d keep you guys company. Speaking of, what happened to Magnus’s phone?”_

“It’s dead, so was mine, otherwise we’d have called you earlier.”

“Alright grumpy,” Magnus interrupts. “Thanks, darling. Just keep up updated will you, and please check often to make sure both of us are alive.”

Alec snarled. He had taken an oath not to kill, sure, but he might just make an exception.

“Okay, right. Sorry Fray, just a little bit worked up,” Alec muttered.

“ _Yeah, that’s okay. I get it.”_

“But grumpy cat here doesn’t need to take it out on everybody.” Alec shut his eyes trying to calm himself down. Not that it did much.

“Okay, listen. I’ve been nothing but civil to you the entirety of yesterday. What’s your deal huh?” He snapped.

“Civil? Right, ordering me around, practically slamming me awake, what else do I have to point out. You haven’t actively tried to hurt me, I’ll give you that, Alexander.”

“Would you quit calling me that! I’m sick –”

“ _Guys! Oh my god, guys.”_ They didn’t know how long clary had been trying to get their attention, but now it was Jace’s voice they heard. “ _You two idiots listen up,”_ Jace ordered and they shut up, the rage still sizzling. “ _So, this is what’s going to happen. Help is here and its going to take them at least a day or two to get this fixed, we aren’t going to be standing here all day or constantly check up on you because both of us have a life.”_ Alec huffed a laugh. “ _Alec, don’t. Now. Both of you are going to call a truce. No more fighting, arguing or bringing up any topics that will lead to this till you get out of the house. Agreed?”_

Alec threw a sideward glance at Magnus, who seemed to do the same. _“I said agreed?”_ Jace prompted again. Alec felt like a five-year-old on a timeout. And it was surprising because among his siblings, he was probably the most likely to _give_ a timeout. The way Izzy, Max and Jace behaved, they probably needed one every few days. So, it was weird to be on the receiving end of this conversation.

“Yeah,” Magnus mumbled looking farthest away from the phone he could.

“ _Couldn’t hear you,”_ Jace sang. Alec resisted the urge to phase through the snow just to punch his brother.

“Okay, god, okay! We’ll call a truce,” Alec sighed.

“ _Good. Now I’m tired of being the adult. I don’t know how you do this every day Alec, never again. I’m giving the phone to Clary again.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I finally got time to finish this chapter, because I finally finished one semester in college*phew*. Anyways, I don't have many days off before the next semester so I'll write whenever I can. But I really hope you liked this chapter. If you did, please don't forget to let me know, and tell me what you thought. I know its annoying that I'm not a regular updater (I mean those guys are amazing) But thanks for sticking by anyway. If you want to know when I update, follow me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/everythingelseisspokenfor). Have a great day ahead!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And she lives!! What! I know. I'm sorry. I suck, but this architecture thing is hard okay! Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's hard. But I know you don't want to read this right now, but I just wanted to acknowledge that I know it has been a while and my schedule is horrendous, and I accept the lashing. Happy reading now though! I'll be back in the end.

**Chapter 3**

****

Magnus sat blankly as Alec got up and left. Clary had given them a brief of how bad the situation was, Magnus was pretty sure she had downplayed it if only for the sake of their sanity. He wished he didn’t know Clary that well. He’d known her since they were both kids. So, picking up on the little notes in her voice was the second habit by now, so he kept quiet. Magnus watched as Alec walked out leaving the phone on the coffee table. Magnus picked it up and muttered a quick apology to Clary and cut the call. A truce, Magnus sighed, as if that of all things is going to work. He leaned back on the couch, he probably wouldn’t survive these few days, but he’s at least got to try. It’s going to take a good amount of his energy to keep up this act without breaking. He was just about to close his eyes and go back to sleep when he heard someone clear his throat. He peeked at Alec through the gap between the blankets to see him holding a small notepad and a pen. 

“What?” Magnus asked, wishing his voice didn’t deliver as much exasperation as it did.

“If we are going to call a truce I think it’s wise that we start with a list of rules. That was we’ll not have things to fight about. Well...,” Alec paused, slightly tilting his head, “less than usual things to fight.”

Wait. Was Alec serious about the truce? Magnus removed the comfortable sheets out of his face and looked at the other man to confirm his suspicions. He was not joking. 

“You seriously want to call a truce?” Magnus said, suddenly unsure of his non-verbal clues. He needed confirmation, “you weren’t just saying that to get Clary and Jace off your hair?” 

“Seems like the more logical of the two options,” he shrugged, “I mean I’d rather not spend two days fixating on how much I hate you. It’s not good for my mental health.”

Magnus glared at him. “Fine,” he said pushing as much poison in the word as he could.

“Fine,” Alec spit back.

“Okay!” He said, louder this time.

“Okay,” the younger man replied shaking his head. Magnus narrowed his eyes.

“Rule number one. No repeating the words I say. No more of the 'fine', 'fine', 'okay', 'okay' thing.”

Alec snorted. “That’s a stupid rule.”

“Rule number two. No more calling my rules stupid. Why aren’t you writing these down? Come on darling. Chop chop.”

It was Alec’s turn to glare. He gave him a pointed look and said, “I’m serious, Magnus. Can we please finish this, and hope these two days run fast?”

Right. Of course. What was he thinking? It was a forced truce. Acceptable. It was enough for now he supposed. “fine, rule number one. No more fights about meaningless things.” 

“there we go,” Alec nodded writing it down. 

“and no going off on me for no reason.”

“I do not go off on you for no reason,” Alec retorted with a defensive tone. Magnus raised his brow. “fine.” He put that down on the notepad as well. Magnus scooted over a little bit to give space for the other man to sit down who obliged. 

“Both of us cook,” Alec added, jotting it down as well. Magnus looked at him confused, “What? I’m not planning on surviving on crisps.”

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

After about an hour of discussion about what works in their truce and what doesn’t, the finally pinned it up on the board that was hanging in the kitchen. Alec dusted his palm on his pants satisfied that they’d at least taken the first step. 

“Okay. So, we follow these rules as long as we are in the house. Deal?” 

Magnus seemed to examine the tiny slip of paper. The rules seemed reasonable and mutually agreed on. So, Alec didn’t know what Magnus was still looking at, and why.

“Okay,” he replied after a while. “And if we need to add something else, it should get an average score of a 7 or above to be an absolutely necessary addition.”

“Sounds fair, but the math of it won’t be fair… I mean there are only two of us, and if you want to add something and I give it a score of 4 and you can easily give it a 10 to get a 7, the same way if you score first and I don’t want it, I could give it a one, its not a fair system. Plus, why would either of us score on a rule when it’s as simple as a mutual yes or no. And we are obviously going to argue over whatever it is because we always argue, so it’s just going to lead to more fights which are a direct violation of rule three.”

“Okay. Take a breath, Sherlock Holmes!” the other man interrupted. “We won’t have a numbering system then. In fact, I don’t think we need to worry about it at all because it’s just two days Alexander. We can deal with it.”

Alec wondered why he didn’t add ‘Magnus can’t call Alec Alexander’ to the list. He should have. But now he ruined it for himself. He rolled his eyes but eventually nodded.

“So, what are we having for breakfast then darling? I’ll let you have the first choice since you’re the guest and all,” Magnus asked, this voice reeking of sarcasm. As if in reply his stomach grumbled.

“Well, considering you keep your shelves, _so well stocked,_ you should tell me,” He raised a brow. They stood there holding their stands for a few seconds before Magnus blinked.

“Pancakes it is then,” He shrugged turning around. “Aren’t you coming? Rule numero dos, Alexander,” He sang from the kitchen. _Right. Rule number two._ Alec groaned and followed him.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Okay, since we have a ‘decency’ clause going on, I need to ask –” Magnus finally mixed the chocolate chips into the pancake mix and passed to the man sitting on the counter. “– why do you hate me?”

“You mean why do _we_ hate _each other?_ ” Alec corrected.

“Sure.”

“Its simple really. You’re an asshole.”

“Right back at ya!” Magnus mused. He was stupid to assume that he could finally get an answer. But he didn’t know why… maybe it was his hopeless romantic side that somehow pushed a “You know that I don’t hate you that much, right” out of him. It was barely a mumble, Alec probably didn’t even hear it, but his hand paused stirring for a fraction of a second, but if he did hear it, he’d chosen to ignore it.

Magnus sighed. The pain of unrequited love. Why was it that he was always the one stuck in such situations? Axel was lost to him before he even got him, Imasu was a fling, Etta died, Camille was a bitch, and Alec was nice to literally everybody other than him. At least he was in a relationship with the others. With Alec, he didn’t even know if it would ever be a possibility. He walked around the other side of the island to sit down.

“Fine. How’s the job?” Magnus asked as the uncomfortable silence weighed down on him.

“What do you care,” He shot back flipping the pancake.

“We should make a list of conversation topics too now, shouldn’t we. Or die in silence,” he huffed. “Also, you’re breaking rule no. 1.” He looked up, and Alec’s eyes remained devoid of emotion. Magnus rolled his eyes, _of course,_ and slipped out of the stool, “Let me know when these are done.” Sticking to himself then, that was the course of action now apparently.

“Wait,” The younger man’s voice stopped him, “I’m sorry, that was rude. Bit of a habit. Job’s fine, hectic mostly.” Magnus remained where he was standing. “Come back and sit down, I don’t like too much silence.” He took in a sharp breath but obliged. “We had kind of a long week and we got to take a break now. I still need to call Helen and check in though.”

“And how’s Catarina doing?”

“She is the best nurse anyone could ask for! Ever. She is so helpful. She is still my GPS around the hospital sometimes.”

“That’s great. She says you’re a great intern.”

“She exaggerates.” Magnus smiled at the slight pink that crept onto his cheek.

“Well… You seem to have made an impression, and for Caterina Loss, that is saying something, so I’m going to go ahead and say no.”

Alec’s lips curved slightly, he places a stack of pancakes on the island, and the silence dawns on them again.

“This is weird,” Alec points out, “I mean having a normal conversation. This is weird, right? We don’t do –” he gestured vaguely around the both of them, “– this.” Magnus huffed a laugh. They used to do it. Or had his brain made that up too? But he remembered having nice conversations with Alec. A handful but they existed. But then it was like it took a complete one-eighty and things around them just changed.

“Yeah, weird. Maybe this is the universe’s way of forcing us to get along.” Alec snorted.

“Sure, it’s working wonders, ain’t it?”

“Well, I suppose it’s a start. But definitely weird.”

“Okay, now what?”

“You find the bed that’s _just right_ and go to sleep. That’s what you do after a stack of sweets, right?”

“You’re mixing fairy tales again. That’s after a bowl of soup. You know, for a guy who’s so keen on making these references, you sure mess up a lot.”

“Creative liberty, Alexander. A guy like me can’t stick to a single topic.”

“Sure. Let’s go with that.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec picked up his phone to answer. He saw Helen’s name flash on the ID and picked up immediately. He’d called her before in the morning to ask her how Caleb’s doing, but she must have been busy, and understandably so. So, he’d left her a text to call her when she gets a little time off.

“Hey. Hi, I’m sorry for disturbing you earlier.”

“ _Yeah, hun, no problem. What’s going on?”_

“Oh, nothing, I just wanted to ask how Caleb’s doing. He seemed a little wary of you when I left,” Alec hesitated.

“ _Are you insinuating that I am scary, Lightwood? May I remind you I have six siblings I deal with. I think I can handle one more.”_

“Ha ha. You know what I mean. He’s a shy kid, but that’s beside the point. How is he doing?”

“ _Well, he’s been responding well to the antibiotics, but we still need to move forward with the operation, but we are thinking about postponing it because he seems a little scared. And thankfully, we can afford the time. And before you ask. Yes, Alec, he seems to be getting along fine with me. He still asks for you though, so screw you,”_ she teased. Alec laughed softly.

“Can I talk to him. Are we allowed to do that? I don’t know. I thought I’d come and meet him, but I’m stuck in a bit of a situation here, almost literally, so…”

“ _Why? What happened?”_ she asked, her voice muffled with food. Of course, she must have been taking her lunch. At six. It was expected.

“Oh, the snow storm got us trapped inside Izzy’s house. And it’s apparently gonna be two or so days till they can dig us out. Also, if your eating, I can call later.”

“ _What? Please tell me you’re stuck with Izzy and not Magnus, because dear god, I cannot imagine what would happ –”_

“Stuck with Magnus.”

“ _Oh my god. This means war.”_

“Stop exaggerating Blackthorn. Besides, we called down a truce.”

“ _Sure. Coz that is totally going to work for a hardass and a smartass that constantly clash.”_

Alec rolled his eyes. “Why am I even friends with you?”

“‘ _Because doctors who are working on the same patient need to constantly keep in touch, competition or not, patient care is –’”_

“Most important. Yeah, I know. Now stop quoting Diana. Now back to the topic, Caleb.”

“ _Always about patient care. No wonder you’re the nurses’ favourite.”_

“Say’s miss-I-know-everybody’s-name-coz-i-have-photographic-memory-and-people-skills-somehow.”

“ _That’s a very long nickname,”_ He heard her laughing on the other side. “ _But on a serious note, I’ll ask around and let you know. I’m sure they’ll be okay with it mostly, but I think we need to take permission from his parents too. I’ll text you about it.”_

“Thank you, Helen.”

“ _Now tell me. How much of poor Izzy’s house still survives after world war 3?”_

“I’m going to kill you, and no one will ever find out,” Alec threatened. He heard more laughing from the other side.

“ _Hippocratic oath, my boy.”_ He couldn’t help but laugh.

“But seriously Helen. It’s been fine. Nothing’s been broken so far, and hopefully nothing well. Otherwise, Izzy will torture me about how I ruined the balance of the room or something.”

“ _Sure, hun. But any juicy gossip comes to me first, deal?”_

“Do I have a choice at all in this?”

“ _I’m going to take a hunch and say nope. But I gotta go now, I’ll let you know what I find out about the call, okay?”_

“Thanks again. Bye!”

“ _Bye.”_

His mind dwindled in thought again. ‘ _I don’t hate you that much’._ It was something Magnus had murmured when they were in the kitchen. Alec almost didn’t catch it. But it did surprise him. Didn’t he? Why not? He was nothing but awful to him, and he felt almost guilty when Magnus tried to continue the conversation and he shot it down, which was why he apologised. But this wasn’t a part of Alec’s plan. He expected to just tiptoe around each other or something. But as a doctor, he hated silence. In his field, silence meant something completely different. The meaning of silence changed for him once he started practising medicine. It went from being solitude to being the end. And any sound seemed better than no sound at all. But it was weird. Having conversations with Magnus that didn’t end up in snide remarks and ultimately an argument was weird. And the fact that Alec was more than comfortable with it and wanted more of it was not just weird. It was unacceptable. That wasn’t his plan. But it wasn’t going to change anything else. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again!!! SO SORRY about this. But just hold on. I'll write whenever I get time, which is clearly not a lot. And thank you all so much for bearing with me. I finally understand why authors don't update as much as I'd like them to. I forget they have a life outside of this as well. And serious congratulations to those who still manage! (Please teach me how!). But anywaysss... Hope you enjoyed this chapter, things are gonna be happening soon (story timeline wise and hopefully our timeline wise too), and if you did, leave me kudos, comments, hit me up on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/everythingelseisspokenfor) to know my random thoughts on random stuff, and updates on these. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. And hope the rest of your day is AMAZING!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you guys are getting about as bored of my apologies as I am. But I still feel the need to do it, coz it has been almost a month guys. SORRY!!! I'll let you get to the chapter. Thanks for bearing with me. Happy reading.

**Chapter 4**

****

Magnus was liking this. Them not fighting all the time. It was refreshing not to have to pretend. 

"Alexander! Stop moping around and take a shower!" 

This was getting too friendly too fast, almost as suddenly as their sudden hating in fact. But Magnus was definitely not complaining. 

"But why? Nobody cares. And we'll be out of here today anyway, right? That's what Jace said," Alec whined. Magnus bit back his smile. 

"I do not want to walk around with a man suffocating me with his BO. Plus, I'm pretty sure blondie said, 'one or two days', so we might be stuck here until tomorrow."

"Hey! I do not smell that bad." That's was a brief pause, "yeah, no, I need a shower." He finally got up from the sofa throwing his comforter in a pile on the corner. 

Magnus liked not having to hide his smile. he shook his head absentmindedly and picked up the comforter to fold it. He'd been sleeping on the couch since his room was too cold. The temperature control was most certainly broken and the living room was warmer. The couch was comfortable, but when you are used to a queen size bed all to yourself, you realise the 800mm of space isn't enough. And Magnus had proven that by falling off the couch several times just last night. And now his back was killing him. He smoothened out the comforter as the phone rang. He looked around a little confused that highway to hell wasn't playing. And then he remembered. 

"Darling! Your phone's ringing," Magnus sang looking for the source of the sound. 

"Who is it?" The sound of the running water muffled his sound. Magnus picked up the phone and read the name on the caller ID. 

"Catarina," he shouted back.

"Pick up please." 

He didn't hesitate before answering with a quick "Hello."

“ _Magnus?_ ” came the answer.

“The one and only.”

“ _Hey, I heard from Helen about what was happening. And why aren’t you picking up_ your _phone, I’ve been worried sick, and Ragnor has been torturing me with his crap because you’re not available. And I need to work Bane. I’m a busy woman. Now, where is Alec? Please tell me you did not kill him. I would help you bury his body, but I would be very disappointed in you. He is one of the good ones. You did not kill him, right?”_

“Woah, Cat, catch a breath, will you? Ragnor can be a drama queen, my phone is dead, and my phone is the only thing that’s dead, no bodies to bury for us. We good?” He heard Catarina sigh and rolled his eyes. “You really need to have more faith in me hun.”

Cat snorted. “ _I usually don’t trust you, Magnus, but I trust you even less with Alec around.”_

“Hey!” He complained, and he heard a chuckle from the other side.

“ _Yeah yeah. Whatever. Now, where is Dr Lightwood? I need to talk to him.”_

“He’s in the shower, so you’re stuck with me for now. Tell me, how’s life outside four walls?” Magnus asked because he needed someone to tell him about what was going on out there while he was having his own weird, mini adventures here with Alec.

“ _Magnus, you really think asking a full-time nurse about this helpful at all? I see nothing more than this hospital and if I’m lucky, my bed… excuse me a second,”_ she paused briefly as someone gave her inaudible instructions about something, _“Sorry about that. Now, where were we? Yes. I don’t have any news for you, but_ you _, Bane, have something much more interesting to offer me. Drama.”_ Magnus scoffed. If he had to count on one thing in this world. “ _All these medical dramas grossly overestimate how much ‘fun’ we have here.”_

“You will never change,” Magnus shook his head fondly. That’s when he noticed that the sound of the water in the background had stopped. “There is nothing dramatic going on in my life Cat. I am still charming and glittery, but I’m this close to running out of glittery supplies.”

“ _You and your glittery whine I tell ya.”_ Magnus shook his head fondly. Cat and he had been friends since childhood. It constantly surprised him that despite all the changes they had in their life and lifestyle, they still somehow stuck by. In fact, each turn in their life brought them closer together, fights and all.

“Hey, is she still on the line?” Magnus turned to face the man who the call was meant for.

“Yeah, she is –” he choked. Alec was standing there with nothing, but a towel wrapped around his waist. His throat was suddenly dry. Cat didn’t know about his pining for Alec. No one did. He swallowed and nodded a little too late. _Don’t stare, please don’t stare._ But Alec’s toned, and surprisingly ripped chest was out on display, (he seriously shouldn’t wear such loose shirts). And the water dripping… he didn’t let himself finish the thought but how could he not stare. He blinked a few times tearing his eyes away. He didn’t give Cat a warning before handing over the phone and walking away. He noticed the other man’s confused look but chose not to acknowledge it. He knew it was freezing, but damn did he need a cold shower _right now_.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe Magnus just _really_ wanted to take a shower. He didn’t know, but it was not like Magnus to be at a loss for words or just walk away, really. He ignored it like he preferred to do with most things Magnus because the more he thought about it the more confusing things got. Alec didn’t do confusing well. And after the whole epiphany he had the previous day, any thought of the other man was restricted. Magnus Bane was in the same folder as the Bermuda triangle or the point (or the lack thereof) of existence. Those questions you keep real hard from asking yourself because you know you will not arrive at an answer and it will only make you go on a downward spiral. But it was hard to ignore someone who you were spending every waking hour with. And now he was smiling at him and being nice. And it wasn’t just a we-called-a-truce-so-I’m-being-civil nice. Genuinely nice. Making coffee for him early in the morning nice. And that honest smile that lit his face up almost always forced one out of Alec always. It had stopped being weird way faster than he would have ever anticipated. Now it was just his instinct to smile at Magnus. _Two days?_ Alec was seriously weak for all the talk on how stubborn he could get.

“ _So Diana is cool with it as long as the parents are,”_ Catarina was still giving him the details on Caleb. “ _and I talked to them and they are more than okay with it, so that’s all. So, I’ll just give them this number, just wanted to confirm before I did that,”_ she finished.

“Yeah, Of course. This number should work. Thank you so so much. I really can’t thank you enough.”

“ _No, it was no problem at all. Now you do me a favour and let my moron of a best friend live.”_ Alec let out a chortle, “ _I know he’s a handful.”_

“Do no harm. Got it. Thanks again.”

“ _Yeah, don’t mention it. Bye.”_

“Bye.” He dropped the phone on the couch and went back in to find something to wear. He didn’t have any more clean clothes left and the ones he came in with now needed a wash. And the cold was starting to get to him. He didn’t see any other option other than maybe borrowing Magnus’s clothes. He walked into his room and the temperature dropped ten degrees. He looked around to check the thermostat which apparently was not working. _Oh! That explains the comforter on the couch._ He went back around to the dresser. He tried his best to find the least sparkly shirts in a size slightly bigger than Magnus’s, while not messing up the arrangement itself.

“What are you doing?” Alec startled at the voice. He turned around rather abruptly clutching onto the dresser probably looking like a deer caught in headlights. Magnus was fully dressed except for his make up which he’d never seen him without. It made his face somehow look more… innocent if that made sense.

“Umm… I was… uh. I don’t have anything to wear,” He tried lamely. He saw Magnus bite back a smile and felt his cheeks heating up.

“Move, let me see what I have that might fit you.”

“And non-flashy, please,” he mumbled. Magnus smiled this time and he returned with a toothy grin.

“That’s going to be a feat, so, no promises, darling,” he walked past Alec shuffling through his dresser before throwing him a pair of grey (he couldn’t believe Magnus owned anything grey. Seriously) track pants that Alec slipped on.

“Okay. So, this is the only jumper I have that might fit you,” Magnus said holding a black one in his hand, “Just try it on.” Alec slipped it on without really looking at it. He was really freezing in here. But as soon as he felt the soft fabric fill in a little warmth that he had lost he heard the older man’s laugh. “I’m so sorry. But this is one of my more sober shirts and it’s still weird to see you in sequins.”

 _Sequins?_ Alec looked down to see ‘blink if you want me’ written in silver sequins. _Oh, praise everything that was dictating his day right now._ “Seriously? This is _sober?_ Magnus, how?”

The other man was still laughing and on the verge of tears. Alec threw his hands up helplessly and began laughing too.

“Sorry,” Magnus managed.

“You really are something else.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. They sat at their own places and Alec had some kid he was talking to. He didn’t recognize the kid’s voice, but they seemed friendly, and it was absolutely adorable to watch. Both of them were too lazy to cook any dinner so they’d stuck to cup noodles and wine. And now they were sitting on the couch both with books in hand. It was probably because of the laziness, but Magnus could feel his eyelids drooping.

“Okay, Alexander,” He yawned, “I think I’m gonna call it a day.” She scooted around gathering the comforter to place it properly over himself.

“Magnus, wait.” He blinked his eyes open.

“Hmm?” He asked, tiredness of the whole sleeping in the couch thing taking over.

“You can sleep in Izzy’s room, I’ll take the couch today.”

“What? Why?”

“’Cause it’s too cold in your room and that couch honestly doesn’t feel as comfortable as it looks after a few hours.” Magnus sat up.

“Then why would you want to take the couch?”

Alec shrugged, “You’ve taken it for the past two days,” he said as if that was all the explanation needed.

“The bed is big enough for two of us.”

Magnus was going to chalk this down to the sudden grogginess, but he was taken by surprise when Alec shrugged and said, “Sure then, let’s share.”

“What?”

“You’re right, it’s big enough, so let’s share.”

Magnus was exhausted, so he nodded and bundled his comforter in his hand strolling into Izzy’s room, before turning, “Aren’t you coming?”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec woke up to the sunlight streaming in. He must have forgotten to close the curtains. Not uncommon. He reached for his blanket trying to pull it over his face but felt something resisting it. He whimpered, trying again before he realized that there was an arm draped over him. _What?_ He shuffled a little as the figure below him nuzzled closer to his neck. What, huh? He moved his neck slightly to see who it was. _Magnus?_ _Oh._ The previous night slowly came back to him. They had both gone to sleep with separate blankets and enough space for a person to sleep between them, but now somehow, Alec’s blanket was lying on the floor and they were both sharing Magnus’s. And he looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and a carefree look on his face. He was breathing with his mouth slightly open. It made him look like a baby. He tried again to wiggle slightly, only for the other man’s grip to become tighter. He sighed and gave in to the sluggish part of him, leaning into the warmth. His own arm wrapped around Magnus pulling him in closer. The shorter man’s head settled below his jaw with his soft hair slightly tickling him. He smiled groggily at the thought before his eyes suddenly flew open. _What on earth was he doing!_ NO. no no no. Nuh uh. So much for nothing else changing. So much for a _plan_. This was not going to happen. He abruptly removed his arms and Magnus’s from around him too and walked out to the kitchen.

This was beginning to become way too much. It _was_ his idea though. But this is not how he thought they would end up in the morning. Thankfully Magnus was too deep in his sleep to notice his absence. He was starting to fall for Magnus again. Too fast, too deep. He washed his face and grabbed a glass of water. No. Just no. Oh dear heaven and hell, he didn’t want to go through this again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! I updated. I'm sorry about this screwed up schedule, hopefully, the chapter made up for it. If it did, let me know what you thought in the comments, leave me kudos, and subscribe if you want to keep up, or you could just follow me on [Tumblr ](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/everythingelseisspokenfor), I am more active there so you might have some spam on your dash. But hit me up there if you want to talk, rant, kill me. All welcome. And thanks a bunch for reading. Have a mind-blowingly amazing day ahead! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Magnus had to admit he woke up quite late, even by his standards. It was half past noon when he finally managed to push out of the cosy bed. To be fair though, he hadn’t slept this well in the past two days. But what surprised him was though that Alec didn’t wake him up. What about breakfast then? He brushed his teeth before going to get something to eat. His stomach was practically growling. He smiled when he saw Alec leaning over the counter eating cereal. He must have just gotten up too then.

“Good morning,” Magnus smiled still not entirely awake. He did not get a reply, but Alec looked up and continued eating his cereal. “When did you get up?” And he still didn’t get a reply. “Alexander,” he tried again.

“What?” A familiar coldness laced his voice, Magnus almost cringed at it, but then it was probably his sleepiness too.

“I asked if you just got up,” he repeated.

“No,” came the curt reply.

“Oh. Okay, cool,” he moved over to the coffee maker to see the pot was empty, “Do you want some coffee?” He offered, not sure why, I mean he was already having breakfast, but no harm in asking, right?

“No.”

_Okay…_ Magnus thought, _this was weird._ Maybe it was something at work, or a bad dream or something. So, he decided it was best to give the younger man some time. He made himself coffee, picked up some biscuits from the counter and left Alec to his wallowing. He just hoped it would be better sooner rather than later, and he desperately wanted to help with whatever it was. But intruding was often on more annoying than not, and it just didn’t feel right. So, he decided to make lunch by himself, not wanting to disturb Alec. Not that he was great at cooking, but he knew enough to make a decent meal. And there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish with some good background music.

It took him about an hour or so to finish cooking and cleaning, and then another 5 minutes to set up the table, which is not something they usually did. These past two days at least, they had their meals wherever they pleased. Not like anyone was monitoring them. But something possessed him to finally put the poor abandoned dining table to use, so he did. Alec hadn’t left the room since he finished his (could he call it) breakfast. Magnus gave a quick peek to see Alec working on Izzy’s laptop before knocking on the door to get his attention.

“Alec, lunch is ready,” he said as the other man looked up.

“I’ll eat later.”

“It’s better when it’s hot,” he prodded, giving him a cheeky smile.

“I said later,” he seemed irked. And it wasn’t just at something, it seemed to be specifically pointed at him.

Magnus hesitated as he turned around. He couldn’t help the disappointment that settled in, and despite himself, he glanced back, “Are you sure. You didn’t seem to have had much since morning.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It wasn’t Magnus’s fault, Alec knew that. But he couldn’t help it. And frankly, it _was_ Magnus’s fault.

“Do you not understand what I say, or are you just too daft to act on it?” He commented as Magnus invited him to lunch for the third time but bit his tongue when he saw the way his face fell. Alec hated the way his heartstrings tugged at him to console him, and he hated that he actually consciously wanted to make him feel better, but he buried that less sensible part of him as he watched the door close.

It was not Magnus’s fault, by choice, but it was him nonetheless. He continued to scroll down on his laptop looking up some trials that he’d been following, not that he was registering any of it, but it gave him something to do. So, when Izzy called him it was a much necessary distraction from what ride his brain was probably going to take him on.

“Hey Iz, please tell me you dug us out of the snow and I can finally get out of this hell hole.”

“ _Alexander Gideon Lightwood! How dare you call my home a hell hole?”_

Alec laughed lightly, “It’s not the décor Iz.”

“ _I know, but I thought you had a functioning truce going on with Magnus that was somehow working,”_ she asked.

“Well, that’s still in place, but I still want to get out.”

“ _Sorry to be the bearer of bad news big brother, but you need to hold on another day. There was another snow storm last night, not as bad, but it added to the pile in front of the door, so they are still working on carving you out.”_ Alec sighed, “ _Sorry, we’re trying to push it, but there is only so much we can do right now. But you will definitely be out by tomorrow. I promise.”_

“No, it’s okay Izzy, I understand. Thanks.”

“ _Thank me when you get out with a treat at Hunter’s Moon, drinks will all be on you,”_ Izzy countered.

“You get me out, then we’ll see about those drinks,” Alec laughed.

“ _Speaking if drinks, how’s Magnus doing? Poor guy is putting up with you.”_

“Izzy, can we not?” Alec tried slightly defeated.

“ _Alec, what happened?”_ All the playful notes in her voice were gone, she was using her ‘concerned sister’ voice that didn’t really help him. And he sure didn’t want to talk about his growing crush for you know who with his sister. For that matter, he didn’t even want to think about it.

“You know what? Nothing,” He opened the door and strolled to the dining room, “Here, talk to Magnus,” he urged handing the phone over to the man sitting at the dining table. It wasn’t handing as much as shoving, but phonetics. He was about to go back in and avoid Magnus for the rest of the day like he planned but his stomach growled in protest, and the smell of fresh pasta hit his nose. _Oh my god,_ it smelled heavenly. Was that arrabiata? He tried yet again to go back, eventually giving in to his hunger, he sat down opposite Magnus who gave him a small smile and continued talking to Izzy.

“Yes, dear… I know and thank you.” A pause, “Yeah, it’s all good. You can count on me not to let our masterpiece of a house go to waste… Thank you, Isabelle. I’ll see you on the other side.”

Alec kept his eyes on the plate helping himself with the food. They didn’t usually have their meals in the dining table, but he was glad that they did because it left a fair amount of distance between the two of them. If Magnus had any comments about his sudden appearance after the snapping he kept it to himself, and Alec was grateful for that. They had their lunch in peace, and it was absolutely delicious, not that Alec commented on it, or was going to let himself to. When he was done he waited for Magnus to finish. He was a slow eater, and he hadn’t started eating till Alec joined him, god alone knows why. So, when Magnus finished he quietly picked up his own plate as well as Magnus’s to do the dishes. That was the only thank you he could get himself to give, and he didn’t protest. Alec went over to the sink and cleared the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.

“Are you okay?” Magnus’s voice broke the silence after a few minutes.

“Yeah,” he replied unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He didn’t know what Magnus thought he was going through, but he was so glad that he wasn’t an easy person to read. Did he want to talk to Magnus about having feelings _for Magnus?_ No. Hell no. So, that’s was he said.

“Okay, I’m not going anywhere, so I’ll be here if you want to talk,” Magnus shrugged leaving him alone once again. It was three days; how did that manage to unravel years of trained hatred. Just how? He knew the answer on his part. The effect Magnus Bane had on him was just that intense, but what about the other side. What made Magnus want to be all cordial now. But his course for now still stood. Ignore Magnus, just hope to god these people can get him out before the break of dawn tomorrow. And that was it. Half a day he can deal with. He’d take the couch at night. And sleep till late if they’re not out. Then he’ll work on putting his feelings back where they were not causing a war zone in his heart again.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Magnus wasn’t sure what to think anymore. But he kept to himself for the rest of the day till it came time for dinner. He knew this was probably the last day they were going to be stuck here, which was a relief, but at the same time, a part of him felt like this was the last chance he had if he ever wanted something to happen with him and Alec. And that thought wasn’t the end of the world. He was not the kind of person who would stop his life for the idea of romance, but he would definitely not want to regret never giving it a shot. He owed that much to himself. Right? All these years of dancing around hating each other. He had to try. So, he gathered what little courage he had and cleared his throat to get Alec’s attention.

Alec shot him a stern glare. Magnus inhaled deeply before managing to get any words out, “Do you want to help make dinner? It’s the last night before freedom, so, um, let’s celebrate.”

Alec glanced at him a second longer then continued to do whatever he was doing. Magnus shoved in that disgruntled feeling and ducked his head, till he heard Alec groan.

“What do you want to make,” he scorned Magnus bit back a smile in spite of the tone.

“Your choice. Look around and tell me what to do, and I’ll do exactly that.”

Alec shut the laptop close, “Give me a few minutes.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alec was a decent cook, but in all fairness, when it came to the Lightwoods, Alec had to carry the baton. I mean, Jace was a good helper, but he had zero sense of spices, Max didn’t nearly care enough, and Izzy would just end up burning the kitchen down. And that wasn’t even a figure of speech. Ironic, considering that out of all their kitchens, the one he was currently standing in was the best. But it kinda did make sense since Magnus did cook. Quite well, in fact. Which is why he didn’t understand why he let Alec choose their last meal stuck in here. For that matter, he didn’t know why he agreed to it in the first place. He had all the intention of denying the request but changed his mind so fast it scared him. He sucked at restraint.

“So, you get started on the vegetables, and I’ll do the marinade for the steak,” Alec instructed, and Magnus nodded with a certain amount of enthusiasm he wasn’t expecting. He raised his eyebrows in question but started gathering the ingredients for the marinate before he could get a reply. He grabbed a spatula and a bowl when soft music started playing in the background.

“Everything’s better with a little song in the background.” Magnus shrugged, “I can stop it if you want,” he offered.

“That’s okay.”

“Okay.”

They were working like a well-oiled machine, with very little exchange of words, Alec shooting down every possibility of a conversation as it started, so eventually, Magnus seemed to have given up too. It was all fine till Alec heard a sharp hiss. He turned to find Magnus flinching away from the cutting board dropping the knife on it.

“Are you okay?” The question slipped instinctually.

“Yeah, it’s just a cut,” he insisted before starting the tap to place his finger under the running water, but the blood didn’t seem to clot, so Alec stepped in and turned the tap off.

“The pressure of the water isn’t helping you,” he wiped his hands on the apron before carefully lifting his finger up to examine the cut. “It’s pretty deep. God Magnus, can’t you be careful?”

“Sorry, I was kind of lost in thought.” Alec shook his head at the answer. He looked around the room looking for something the put pressure of the cut. He dragged Magnus’s hand along as he stretched for the hand towel.

“Okay, keep that there, keep your hand faced up and I’ll get the first aid kit.” Magnus nodded. “Where is the first aid kit?”

“It’s the bottom shelf on the left” he pointed at the corner and Alec grabbed it as soon as he could.

“Sit down,” Alec directed pulling out a chair, and then another one for himself. “Give me your hand.” Magnus listened. He removed the towel and the blood started pooling around the cut again. “Okay, so this is definitely going to sting, brace yourself.”

“Okay.”

He dabbed a cotton ball in antiseptic and held the older man’s hand firmly. “I’m going to continue applying pressure, tell me if it starts feeling numb, you probably don’t need stitches. It’s not that deep a cut, but you’ll be fine. But tell me if it starts hurting too.” He scoots in closer, his grip firm on the cotton ball.

“Alec?” Magnus started a few breaths later.

“Hmm?” is all Alec can manage, his concentration not wavering.

“Did I do something? I mean I don’t remember doing anything, but if I upset you, I’m sorry.”

“What?” he was caught by surprise with the question. He expected Magnus to go back to the way they were before all this began. He didn’t expect such a sincere apology, “Magnus, it’s not y –”

“Alexander, I know you are mad at me. I just don’t know why.”

“I just – I mean – It’s not –” Magnus shook his head.

“You don’t have to explain, but I’m sorry.”

Alec’s eyes locked with Magnus and something in him just clicked. He let his free hand cup Magnus’s face and leaned in not entirely sure what he was doing. _What was he doing?_ He had a plan. He was supposed to ignore. But Magnus was supposed to be an asshole. He felt Magnus gasp ever so slightly before closing the little gap between them. So much for restraint. He wasn’t sure if he moved first or Magnus, but now they were kissing, soft and gently, slightly pushing to take control when Magnus pulled back flinching. Alec snapped out of the haze, _right!_

“Your finger,” Alec remembered removing the cotton. The blood had stopped, so he cleaned the cut and put on a band-aid. “Magnus, about the… um –”

Magnus’s lips curled slightly as he put his finger against Alec’s lips. He couldn’t help but return the smile. It took barely seconds before his lips replaced his finger. This kiss was more needy, more passionate, more… _Magnus_. His hands crawled to the nape of the shorter man’s neck pulling him closer. He heard Magnus laugh slightly before pulling him in again. _Oh my goodness, this is happening._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_This is finally happening!_ Magnus couldn’t believe it. After all this time waiting, something did work out after all. He didn’t try to fight the grin that he knew was plastered on his face right now? When they finally pulled away to catch a proper breath his heart was beating a million miles a minute.

“You’re not hungry anymore?” Alec asked mimicking his expression.

“Not for food,” he replied biting his bottom lip.

“Well, me either,” Alec said with a cheeky grin pulling Magnus into the room with the bed still unmade. Magnus stopped him midway pulling him into another kiss. Alec’s fingers were playing with the hem of his shirt eventually removing it and Magnus giggled.

“Looks like someone’s in a hurry,” He commented as Alec pulled his own shirt over his head.

“I could stop if you want,” He said in between kisses.

“Don’t you dare,” Magnus warned only for Alec to laugh and pull them to the bed.

“Izzy is going to kill us,” He breathed out.

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” He pulled out of under Alec to pin him to the pillow slowly leaving lingering kisses on his neck and shoulders, and Alec’s eyes remained closed but he tilted his head to give him better access, but a loud crash interrupted them.

“What the –” Alec’s eyes shot open.

“Hey, guys! We got the job done. Welcome to the outside world,” A girl’s voice rang through.

“Izzy?” Magnus whispered.

“Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.” Magnus scrambled out of the way as Alec tossed him his shirt slipping his own one on. “Shit.” Magnus caught the shirt but kept staring at the panicking man. Alec smoothed down his hair, “Magnus, I’m sorry don’t take this the wrong way, but if Izzy sees us neither of us will hear the end of it. That’s the only reason I’m –” Magnus let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding and smiled at the younger man.

“I agree. Let’s go out,” He admitted pulling his own shirt on.

“Oh my god, it smells heavenly in here,” Izzy commented, “Guys, where are you?”

“They are probably out somewhere tearing each other’s throats,” Jace commented, “But hey, the house is in one piece, so that seems like a good sign.” Magnus decided to wait a while before joining Alec

When he walked out Alec was already halfway through a conversation with his siblings. Alec looked back as soon as he stepped into his vision, and Magnus smiled, he only saw a glimpse of Alec returning the gesture before Izzy came and crashed into him.

“Thank you for getting us out, darling. I was suffocating within these four walls.”

“Magnus, it is literally your job to design these ‘four walls,” Izzy shook her head.

“Which is why it is suffocating,” Magnus glared, “You of all people should get that Isabelle.” And she laughed. “Did you have dinner yet?” he asked the two of them.

“No, but we thought you’d want to go out since you know, stuck-in-the-same-place-forever thing,” Jace chimed in.

“It was four days,” Alec remarked rolling his eyes. “Plus, we are halfway through cooking, you can join us if you want. We have enough for four.”

“It does smell delicious.”

“As long as we’re going out for ice cream later,” Magnus declared, and everybody nodded in agreement. “Okay then, let’s finish what we started,” He said eyes not leaving Alec’s who ducked his head keeping from smiling before composing himself and walking over to the kitchen brushing his shoulder with Magnus on the way. Magnus was almost certain he was dreaming this whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whhhaaaaatt?? I updated in less than a month. Here's the truth though, I've been procrastinating from doing school work. typical me. But that means you guys get this chapter, and I really really hope you liked it! Make sure to let me know in the comments if you did, and leave kudos and stuff too while you're at it *grins*. But seriously, tell me what you thought. And hit me up on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/everythingelseisspokenfor) Coz I'm more active there and you'll know when I update. Thank you so much for reading!! And have the best ever day ahead! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hey again! Thanks for reading. I really hope you liked it and if you did, then feel free to leave kudos and let me know what you thought in the comments. Subscribe to the story if you want to know when i update coz (And i really am sorry about this) idk when i'll get time. Check out my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/everythingelseisspokenfor) if you want to talk to me or leave me suggestions on how to make my writing better. Thanks again!  
> And also, have great rest of the day!!


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